Ultrasound Treatment May Improve Memory in Mice by Provoking Neurogenesis

There has been some research into the use of ultrasound for short-term disruption of the blood-brain barrier, to allow medication through without excessive delivery of unwanted materials into the central nervous system. In the course of this line of work, researchers observed that ultrasound treatments resulted in improved cognitive function in mice. Here, it is suggested that this has nothing to do with the blood-brain barrier effects, but instead it is in some way upregulating neurogenesis, the production of new neurons and their integration into neural circuits in memory-related areas of the brain. The present view on neurogenesis is that more of it would be a good thing, even in youth, and the decline of neurogenesis with age is an unfortunate outcome that should be prevented. Might suitable ultrasound treatments have a large enough effect to matter in humans? Perhaps; it is certainly an interesting proposal. The idea that sound waves knocking at the skull could boost memory continues to sound far-fetched to many Alzheimer's researchers, but researchers report that scanning ultrasound improved synaptic signaling, increased neurogenesis, and sharpened spatial memory in old wild-type mice. Importantly, this worked without breaching the blood-brain barrier, a commonly used ultrasound trick to provoke a brain response. Whether this technique is appropriate for people remains to be seen, though early stage clinical trials in older adults indicate it may be safe. ...
Source: Fight Aging! - Category: Research Authors: Tags: Daily News Source Type: blogs